Verifiable Credential OAuth Authentication Without Passwords
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing Open Authorization (OAuth 2.0) framework requires users to manage multiple usernames and passwords, increasing the risk of cyberattacks and complicating authentication and authorization processes.
Innovation Solution
A decentralized identity verifiable credential system is introduced, utilizing a proxy machine and a decentralized identity agent to broker communications, enabling authentication without passwords and integrating with OAuth protocols to manage access tokens using unique authorization tokens encoded in verifiable credentials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If users manage multiple usernames and passwords for different accounts, then authentication can be performed across multiple services, but security risk increases and user burden increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a decentralized identity agent as an intermediary between the user and authentication services. This agent holds and manages verifiable credentials on behalf of the user, eliminating the need for users to directly manage multiple usernames and passwords. The agent automatically presents appropriate credentials to services, reducing both security risks and user burden while maintaining multi-service authentication capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates verifiable credentials that are cryptographic copies of identity information issued by trusted authorities. Instead of storing actual usernames and passwords, the system uses these verified copies (credentials) that prove identity without exposing sensitive authentication data. This allows secure authentication across multiple services without compromising security
2Adaptability or versatility
If users manage multiple usernames and passwords for different accounts, then authentication can be performed across multiple services, but user complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The decentralized identity agent serves as an intermediary that abstracts away the complexity of managing multiple credentials from the user. The user simply interacts with the agent to obtain authentication, and the agent handles the complex tasks of selecting and presenting appropriate verifiable credentials to different services
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service authentication where the decentralized identity agent automatically selects and presents the appropriate credentials without requiring user intervention for each authentication event. The agent autonomously manages the credential portfolio and presents them as needed, eliminating manual credential management complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes establishing a network connection between a proxy machine and a decentralized identity agent machine. The proxy machine and the decentralized identity agent machine are used to broker communications with a decentralized identity wallet machine and an authentication machine such that the decentralized identity wallet machine establishes an authenticated session at the authentication machine using a decentralized identity verifiable credential and without providing a username or password to the authentication machine.